


Tantalus and the Protracted Justice

by nonky



Category: Nancy Drew (TV 2019)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Season/Series 01
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:53:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23292772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonky/pseuds/nonky
Summary: Everything led to Ryan, an ice cream parlour, the country club, and Lucy's old house. It also finally cracked some of the falsehoods that had been irritating Nancy about the gaps in Lucy's last day. Her meeting with Karen made her confident she at least understood the mindset Lucy had fallen into before she died. It was like restringing pearls and finding each one was just the right diameter to match. The finished necklace wasn't good as new, but it was unmistakably parts of the same whole. Nancy had finally gathered enough to make more than a collection of coincidental facts.
Relationships: Carson Drew & Nancy Drew, Nancy Drew/Owen Marvin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29
Collections: Nancy Drew TV Series (2019)





	Tantalus and the Protracted Justice

Well, that will teach me to stay out all night with older men and vengeful sea demons, Nancy thought. 

She ran water in the kitchen sink and took the disgusting seaweed wreath with her, sealed into a sandwich baggie. Bess had the book with the ritual, and hopefully she would know what to do. Nancy had no time for Agleaca's hard feelings. As long as Owen was okay, as he had been less than twenty minutes ago when she'd left his house, it could wait. She had to get showered and dressed to show support for her father. 

Seawater was thick on her tongue, the brine stinging her nose. She wasn't hungry anymore, but Nancy set the coffee maker to brew and ran upstairs to get ready. The next time she entered the kitchen, her father was propped up at the counter with a cup of coffee. He had forgone any food, and she was glad she wouldn't have to dodge his attempts at breakfast. 

“Hi,” Carson greeted her. “I suppose it would be too much to ask where you were all night?”

“I was – I had to try everything I could while there was still time,” she told him, pushing away hurt at the judgment in his eyes. She should have been here with her father on what might be his last night at home for a long while. It was important to get evidence, but he needed her support for himself. 

“Did you break the law?”

“No. But I didn't find a miracle. I can't just give up on you,” Nancy said. “If I asked you to give up on me, we both know you wouldn't. It's not possible.”

His resigned shrug was painful. Carson had a file folder he was studying, and he closed it. “I need you to promise you're not going to do anything desperate.”

She was beginning to wonder if desperate had been bypassed for insane weeks ago. Nancy nodded. “I want to be there for you. The judge needs to see you have family and a career where people depend on you.”

Her father poured a cup of coffee she couldn't bear to drink. Nancy was queasy, and toothpaste hadn't worked to get rid of all the seawater taste. She was hoping Lucy would leave her alone for a while. Jumping at her was one thing, but the sudden gorge of vomiting seawater was impossible to ignore. 

“None of this is your fault, Nancy. You have to hold on to that truth. I went to the cliffs that night. I should have known better. My bad choice is catching up to me, but it's not going to effect you,” Carson said firmly. “I love you, and I am doing my best to make things okay. I might not deserve your trust, but I'm asking for a chance to gain it back.”

She nodded. The smell of coffee was sickening, and she had to talk to Bess before she went to the courthouse. The State Police would insist on driving her father. “I trust you. I don't trust a judge to understand. I'm going to stop by the restaurant, but I'll see you there.”

“What do you mean? What is the point of writing down the ritual and not the price of using it?” 

Nancy didn't mean to grab the book away but she could tell Bess was offended when she took it. There were strange, anonymous looking women standing in the water, and the wreath floating at their feet. The relevant paragraphs hinted at more than they said, exasperatingly vague about the favours given and the tolls paid. 

“I thought it was lucky to find this much,” George said, frowning. “This is local legend, but the Marvins and Hudsons don't exactly need to be calling on demons for their fortunes. I don't think a bunch of white ladies were comfortable spending a lot of time recording their non-Christian practices for future generations. That kind of activity gets you witch trials.”

Their conversation had drawn Ace over, and Nick was staring at them instead of The Claw's financial records. Nancy pulled out the wreath from her purse and put it on the counter. 

“I don't think the Agleaca is going to give up on getting Owen,” she said. “I threw that up this morning, along with some salt water.”

A communal cringe ran through their little group, and Nancy hid the wreath again. Carson's court date had brought a few of her fans around, and probably the odd reporter with their ears pricked for a good story to humanize his scandal. 

“But Owen was fine when you left him,” Bess said, glancing at her phone for missed calls or messages. “We got him out of the water.”

Owen was naked in bed when Nancy had left him, drowsing away the groggy early morning when she'd hurried home. She nodded, hoping no one else noticed she went pink-cheeked and quiet about it. Nick would probably recognize the signs, but he would be a gentleman. Besides, he and George were turning into a thing. 

Ace had slipped the book away to flick through pages. “Um, we did, but it wasn't really low tide anymore, was it? We had to hurry to get there in time, remember? So maybe he'll be fine until the same time again, or the Agleaca will go after someone else.”

George was texting someone, and muttered half to herself, “Might just get a recommendation for a sparkling white wine from her, but I let my mom know we have a question about the Agleaca. In the meantime, who else can we ask?”

There was the historical society, but Hannah hadn't been there yesterday and Nancy wasn't sure there would be anything more to learn by going back. They'd helped themselves to what was likely the only real recorded source. She wanted to check on Owen, but if she called him sounding upset he was bound to show up and not want to leave her alone. It seemed better to distance herself from him. The Agleaca's unfinished deal payment was owed by her, and keeping him close felt like a bad idea. 

“When Ace was hurt, McGinnis knew what to do,” Nick said quietly. “But he's not going to want to see all of us after yesterday. We should split up. Bess can keep track of Owen and make sure he's doing okay. Nancy, you take the book and wreath to the police station. George and I can run things here, and Ace can try online for something.”

It was more of a handful of hail Marys than a plan, but she didn't have any hints from Lucy pointing in any helpful direction. Nancy smiled faintly, and took the old book. 

“Thank you, guys. I'll keep in touch,” she said. “Bess? I feel like it's safer if I stay away from Owen. Don't tell him I'm avoiding him, but let him know I'm busy or something? Remind him my Dad's hearing is today. Keep him away from the water.”

She heard Ace whistle as she walked away, and George's grumbled, “How haunted can one person be?”

It was a fair question. Nancy got into her car and took a deep breath before she started the engine. Her feet felt freezing and she looked down to see a few inches of water pooled on the floorboards. She had just enough time to gasp a breath before the whole car was filling. It poured in from multiple places, from the empty parking lot and clear sky. Seawater came to her chest, showing no signs of stopping. She fumbled and lost her keys, leaving them as she caught the door handle and got out with a cry. 

She wasn't even damp as she slammed the car door and backed away, but the message wasn't at all hard to figure. Nancy gave herself a minute to calm down, and made herself get into the car. 

She couldn't help a glance at Karen's desk as she walked toward Chief McGinnis' office. It should matter to have caught Karen, but the connections weren't strong enough to ask for a continuance. Her father had been lucky to get house arrest after his breakout, and they court would be anxious to have his situation more secure. Carson Drew hadn't been considered a flight risk until he actually had to escape to save his life. 

Nancy knocked on the office door, aware there were eyes tracking her with pity and distaste. She was making enemies everywhere she went lately. McGinnis stood up from his desk and let her in, but he crossed his arms before she could blurt her troubles. 

“You know I can't talk about your father's case,” he said. “And neither can any of my officers.”

“This isn't about my father! I summoned the Agleaca yesterday and I got it to work. But there's a price and I put someone in danger. I didn't understand the ritual well enough. It wanted a toll in blood,” Nancy said quickly. 

McGinnis blinked. “Whose blood?”

“Owen Marvin's,” she said. “I think because he's from a founding family, but maybe also because I've been sort of . . . seeing him.”

The police chief seemed to hide a little grin, and she bristled at his amusement. “You really don't have a slow day, do you? Harbour Day traditions aren't really my area, but I know the legend. What ritual did you do?”

She'd memorized the rhyme: “Step into the water, let your heart's desire call her, blood payment you will need, wrapped in chains of seed, Summon your courage and venture near, then a vision will appear. It's the toll you will pay, if unwilling then you must beware.” She wouldn't know the cost of the favour until she'd asked. 

Nancy handed him the wreath and the book, giving him a few minutes to read through the sparse directions. She felt her phone vibrate and found a new text from Owen. He wanted to go with her to the courthouse to keep her company. She answered carefully. If he suspected she was stressed, he would show up anyway, and she couldn't skip her father's hearing or snub Owen. 

“What did you see in the mirror, as specifically as you recall?”

“Nothing except the water and hills behind me at first, then Owen. He started bleeding from his hairline, and it dripped down his forehead. I turned around to look at him and my eyes were bleeding. He was still out in the water and this slice appeared from his middle fingertip up his forearm. I don't know if it ever would have stopped spreading if we didn't all drag him out of the water. We pulled the wreath apart, and the Agleaca let him go. We bandaged his arm and got out of there as soon as we could. Everything seemed okay.”

Nancy waited long enough to see a quick reply from Owen, telling her to let him knew if she changed her mind. She sat down when McGinnis moved back around his desk, his eyes on the wreath. He moved to open the bag and she put a hand out. 

“Uh, before you touch it, I know we left it on the beach somewhere, but it showed up again today,” she said. “I threw it up this morning, along with some seawater. I felt like I was drowning. It happened again in my car before I drove here.”

“This is more than just seaweed,” he said. “What was your favour? The toll should equal what you were given.”

She felt protective of Lucy's bones. If McGinnis was a dirty cop, giving him the bones would destroy even more evidence. But this was Owen's life, and how many moles could a department as small as Horseshoe Bay's really have? Someone had to be clean or nothing would ever be solved. After the hearing today, there might not be any secrets left.

“If you're going to trust me, I need to know what we're trying to prevent. This isn't something I can handle by putting a patrol outside his house. You need to offer a reasonable substitution or protect Owen from harm.”

“Off the record? Lucy Sable's bones,” Nancy told him. 

He flinched. “A body for a body, maybe a life. That was a mistake. I need to look up the plants wound in here. They might tell me how to create a charm to stop the Agleaca from trying to collect. Nancy, how much water was there?”

She swallowed. “It nearly filled up my car. I couldn't get the door open for a minute and it was to my chin. I mean, it wasn't real. I got out and it disappeared. The first time was just a little bit in my mouth.”

McGinnis sighed and looked at his watch. “The toll doesn't have to be Owen. It was taking him because you care about him. Maybe it just wanted another few drops of blood. But if it wanted a life, it could just as easily take you. I'll find out what I can. Stay away from the shore. Keep checking on your other friends, too.”

He handed back the book, shaking his head. His dark eyes were steady but tired, as if she presented a challenge to his patience rather than his authority.

Nancy paused as she came through the door, surprised to see Bess carrying a tray. The Bayside Claw was uncomfortably close to where they'd done their ritual. Either Bess hadn't been able to contact Owen, or he'd invited himself to lunch anyway. 

She swung around and looked through the tables, noting a few of her internet fanclub pointing smartphones at her. Owen was seated in a booth, and he looked between Nancy and her followers. He gave her an empathetic look, and tipped his head to the other side of the bench. She flashed a panicked glance at Bess, who nearly lost her tray sending back a shrug. In the kitchen pass through window, Nick and George were having one of their typical flirt fights.

Nancy sat down across from Owen, unable to resist a moment of studying his handsome face. He was fine, and he smiled happily as she pulled her purse over her head. 

“I thought you weren't going to come,” she said. “I wasn't sure I'd be here.”

Owen had a cup of coffee and a menu. Bess had clearly fabricated something to call him and then the restaurant had actually had customers. It figured the one day a complete failure of a shift had taken a lucrative turn when they needed it to stay quiet.

“Bess wanted some Marvin family advice, and I had to eat lunch somewhere. She's just serving a few guests. Nick and George were slammed when I got here. I think they're having some issues trying to share restaurant management. I promise this is not me twisting your arm to eat with me,” he said. “You want to borrow my menu or do you have it memorized by now?”

Nancy took the menu and used it to prop in front of her face, obscuring the videos her faithful fans were taking without her permission. She resisted glaring at them. No reaction was the best way to be too boring to keep the website in business. 

“I'm trying to get ready to testify, and there were a few things I thought I could figure out before this afternoon,” she said. “I didn't want to promise if I had some luck. Today has to be about the hearing.”

He was dressed in his usual casual but tailored clothing, and she was glad he hadn't put on a suit. It probably meant he had taken her seriously when she turned down his company at the hearing. Having a Marvin show up to sit with her would be the same as going public with their relationship, and Nancy suspected Owen knew that as well as she did. Her family was going to have enough trouble going back to normal without becoming linked to a local family known for money and most local development. 

“I can be relaxed,” he said. “We'll talk about first date things. How many kids should we have, do you think? Do you want to do a main house here or in Boston? Are we doing a destination wedding or is that tacky now?”

“Owen . . . “ He had a way of looking at her so sweetly it was like he was stroking her face, and Nancy liked it. She couldn't let on, and until he was safe she couldn't even enjoy the sensation. 

“I'm kidding! I know how to play it cool. What books are you reading? Ice cold over here, no strings on me.”

The strings were all around, from the way the few other local diners watched them to her friends openly teasing about her 'Romeo.' He was too handsome to go without people looking at him, and even she stared. She tried to shoot a pleading glance to get Bess over to the table, but one of the bloggers had asked for a selfie with their waitress. 

Nancy wondered if she could somehow contrive to have the Marvin cousins live together so she could keep an eye on him without falling for him. It would leave her paired with Ace, but Ace was less stressful than most people. She might be better off being a third wheel to Nick and George than fighting the building dread every wonderful moment with Owen was a lure to crush her with his loss. It was such a silly problem, but his attraction made her feel more emotional. Owen disarmed her by popping up and complacently involving himself in her weirdest moments. He was making himself indispensable.

“You're cool. Maybe I'm not as cool, and that's the problem,” she said glumly. “I don't have a lot of experience just dating and letting it work or not work. I'm trying not to obsess as much, and strike a balance. You had it right when you called me out on my focus. I don't think I'm a fickle person, but before Tiffany Hudson's murder I was really into Nick.”

She was aware that relationship would not be flattering if dating required a resume with past references. Nick had given more than she gave back, and he'd been right to end it with his dissatisfaction building. Nancy hadn't been there for him. 

Owen took the menu and angled it, leaning in with a confiding tilt to his shoulders. “Okay, I am a little less casual than I should be, but here's the thing. I know I'm jumping ahead. I recognize you are starting out and I'm in a spot that's a little more settled. I'm not asking you to rush to get where I am. I'm just inviting you to spend the weekend here and there. Come and go as you please.”

It was generous, and he was only lying to her as much as he was to himself. “It's not that simple.”

“You seem afraid of something,” Owen murmured. “I thought you were maybe nervous about Josh Dodd, but you don't worry about the normal stuff. Nancy, do you regret it? You can tell me. I've been chasing you because you seem okay with me chasing you a little bit, but I'd stop. I wouldn't hurt you.”

“The timing is not ideal, and I have hurt you. I used your coins, and then I used you. Owen, there has to be a limit to your favours. You shouldn't want to be with me.” 

She was drawing attention whispering, the switch to actively ducking and letting her hair cover her face driving the bloggers to bob around looking for better camera angles. It made it impossible for her to keep eye contact with Owen at the same time.

“They're not favours anymore. I can't let you go out into all the crazy dangerous stuff I didn't know existed alone.” His answer was also a whisper, and the two of them were putting out all sorts of tics and uncomfortable motions like a date between two inexperienced kids negotiating a first kiss by the swings. Bess was trying to run interference by telling all her tables the specials again, with an empty tray held up to block their view.

“Yes, you can. And maybe you should.” Nancy said it louder, and it came off too harsh. 

“That's not caring. It's guilt. You did it when your father was arrested and you wouldn't even take his calls. Do you think being ignored makes it easier to love you?”

She looked at him, shaking her head. That word was not in her vocabulary right now, and it was a big leap from him after one night together. Owen put his hands out and pinned her suddenly clammy palms to the table.

“I meant your father,” he said, calming down. “I'm not so far gone yet. But you can't just make me a diversion between near death experiences and wonder why I like to hear from you that you've survived another day. We are at least friends by now, right?”

Nancy shrugged. “I'm not good at keeping friends, Owen. I used to have them, and one day they were all gone. I like you, and I'm not sure what I should be doing about that without breaking promises. I can promise I'll probably have things to tell you later. Can we meet back here, same time as yesterday?”

He pouted, and it was cute in a way that he should have been too old to pull off. “You're not eating?”

She was feeling the minutes before the hearing like individual pangs in her stomach. Nancy shrugged. “I'm too nervous. I can't sit still. I have a couple of hours and I have to know I tried everything.”

Everything led to Ryan, an ice cream parlour, the country club, and Lucy's old house. It also finally cracked some of the falsehoods that had been irritating Nancy about the gaps in Lucy's last day. Her meeting with Karen made her confident she at least understood the mindset Lucy had fallen into before she died. It was like restringing pearls and finding each one was just the right diameter to match. The finished necklace wasn't good as new, but it was unmistakably parts of the same whole. Nancy had finally gathered enough to make more than a collection of coincidental facts.

The Police Chief found her in the hallway, clasping Lucy's glittery journal like it was gold. He raised his eyebrows at her company, but didn't hesitate to greet Ryan starkly. 

“Mr. Hudson, I need a quiet word with Miss Drew. Nancy, can I have a moment?”

He led her to a bench and his tone was stern for their eavesdroppers. “I know you feel strongly about this case, but my advice is to focus on what you have at hand to help. Speculation will not make you a friend of the judge,” he said.

McGinnis laid a paper bag on the seat between them, lowering his voice as Nancy kept her face set. “Protective rosemary, cloves, angelica, sage, salt, and some fern for invisibility, in a fetish bag tied with red string. I could have added mint to make you smell less like the spice rack, but that's for fertility. I suspect you and the new boyfriend aren't looking to conceive just yet. Make sure all six of you wear one for at least a few weeks. The binding should fade as the wreath dries up.”

“How will I know it works?” She didn't really have to work hard to look worried and a little put out. It figured someone knew the exact answer to her problem and wouldn't help until the evil spirit was stirred up and bloodthirsty. Nancy was getting tired of all the local colour stories about supernatural events ending up true. She would have thought at least a few of the folksy tall tales were just good stories to entertain in a camp fire circle.

“I'm hoping it's the Agleaca making you drown on dry land. If that stops, the charm is keeping it from you, but be on guard at low tide. Put yours on now. You have a few minutes before the hearing starts.”

It might block Lucy from communicating, too, but that would have to be the trade off until it was further from Harbour Day. There couldn't be that many secrets missing from the story of Lucy's death. Dragging Ryan with her seemed to have inspired Lucy to give herself away.

“Thank you. I know you don't approve, but this town works on a whole other level I never knew,” she said humbly. “I didn't respect it at first. I'm trying to only interact with it as much as I know the rules to be safe.”

McGinnis nodded. “I'd advise you to minimize your ghost hunting and demon summoning. I'm taking a new job and I won't be around to clean up after your ignorance.”

Nancy tried to act casual as she poked the protective bag under her shirt collar. She even sighed with a little relief when Lucy could still appear at the back of the room as the courtroom reacted to the harsh details of her suicide. After stepping down, numbed by Lucy's tragedy, Nancy barely remembered the cloth bag was there. Her father was free, and she still had her tiny family. 

Charges dismissed were an immediate relief, but also some necessary paperwork that was both boring and required. Nancy left Carson and his lawyer to handle the last ugly reminders of his arrest. He promised to request her diary be returned, along with Lucy's to Patrice Dodd. Her father wasn't sure she was entitled to request the other girl's, but it was no longer evidence of a murder. 

The conclusion of suicide was like magic. Lucy was instantly a figure of compassion. People were sorry they'd taken so long to ask the right questions. They were questioning the good taste of using a dead young woman to sell souvenirs and boat tours. She was a person again, and Nancy saw plenty of people stopping Ryan to shake his hand and give their condolences solemnly. He seemed to be a real part of the the town, responding with quiet gratitude. It wasn't a show anymore, like his public grieving for his wife.

Nancy waved her friends away from the worse of the congestion in the hallways. They seemed a little uncertain how to feel. None of them were suspects anymore, but it still wasn't celebratory. Having settled on who killed Lucy and Tiffany, and found the mishandled evidence to suggest their accidental help in the second death, she could understand the strange mood. She didn't know if there was more to discover in Tiffany's files about the Hudsons. It seemed likely the family had more to hide than what they'd found out, but she was preoccupied with Owen. 

He'd gone looking for her the day before, concerned and wanting to give assistance to her sea demon summons if it would help. Arguably, Owen had volunteered to be the Agleaca's payment by pledging himself to Nancy's cause. He was the one specifically there for her, with no personal stakes in Lucy or Tiffany's deaths. He was also the last out of the water, and maybe that was some kind of inadvertent signal in the ceremony. 

Her modern education and being raised by a lawyer and a social worker didn't cover all of the mythology and cryptic symbolic deals with inhuman entities Nancy found herself needing to know. She wanted another look at the Agleaca legend in the book, and it was in George's office at the restaurant.

“I'm glad your father is free,” Ace said. 

The others mumbled their agreement, and Nancy did her best to smile. She could feel Lucy nearby, rarely wandering far from her now that she understood the sensation of being haunted. She resisted a look over her shoulder. There wouldn't be anything to see except a weird, spastic jerk of her neck. 

“Thank you for being here for us,” she said. “And for all your help. It could have gone the other way and I know it would have been a comfort. Chief McGinnis helped me with charm bags to keep the Agleaca away. Once the wreath dries up it shouldn't bother us. Wear them all the time, and avoid the ocean for a few weeks.”

She handed them out. George put it on and rolled her eyes. Bess sniffed with a wrinkled nose and the two guys threw it over their heads without questions. 

“You're not wearing one?” Nick squinted at her. 

“Under my sweater,” Nancy told him. “I have one for Owen, too, but I'll see him later. Bess, I'm going to take the book about the founding families for a few nights and read up. I feel like all the innocent town celebrations might have ugly origins in something weird. If I'm going to keep tripping into them, I want to know more.”

George nodded. “That seems reasonable.” 

Nancy suddenly remembered the blood bucket they'd all assumed was a prank, spilling red across George's steps. She wondered if it was a prank or something to be looked into before harm came to her friend. 

“I was going to suggest we go back to The Claw and decompress with some food,” Nick said. “It's been a weird few days.”

“It depends on Owen,” Nancy said. “We didn't have real plans set. I just need to get the charm to him, and he said he'd meet me there. He went into the office this afternoon.”

She blushed as they all grinned a little, aware she was almost never uninformed where to find Owen and how to contact him. He made it a point to catch up with her after a trip out of town, and never failed to pick up a call from her. Nancy knew they were getting to a point she was going to have to decide how seriously she wanted Owen to think about her. She could be careful about her own feelings, but he was definitely staying in Horseshoe Bay to be nearby. Leading him on would be wrong. 

Now that her family was out of crisis, she needed to make decisions about schools. All the upcoming start dates had been missed and she hadn't saved as much money as she'd like, but Nancy could be ready to apply for summer courses. She could actually move and be near Owen in Boston. 

It wasn't out of the question they would be close enough by then she might live with him. Nancy cleared her throat and feigned a comfortable shrug. It was a little awkward with Nick and George. They were all talking around old and new relationships without labels. She'd never expected to have an ex as a boss, and a potential new boyfriend so much older. 

She held up her keys. “Anybody need a ride over to The Claw?” 

“We carpooled in Florence,” Ace told her. 

“Okay, I'll see you there in a few minutes.”

Nancy couldn't help a pause as she sat in the roadster, waiting for the surge of seawater and queasiness. She exhaled when it didn't happen. There was still the small chill of Lucy, and she sighed. 

“Lucy? I had to tell them everything. You understand that, right? I couldn't exonerate my father with half-truths. It was time to set things out honestly. I didn't want to invade your privacy, but they were turning you into a ghost story and you deserve to have closure as a person. Your mom and brother needed that for you all these years.”

There was no answer, and the drive to the restaurant was quick. Nancy made sure she had her phone and Owen's charm in her pocket. She was just slinging her purse over her shoulder when the door yanked open. Josh had her by the collar of her coat, handling her like a misbehaving kitten as she scrabbled to hold on to the steering wheel. 

“Wait! Josh, you don't need to do this! I get why you thought it was Ryan. I can get you a lawyer, my father-”

He was oddly blank in his expression, skin burnt but eyes unfocused. Nancy kicked and fought, hoping to get back inside her car and lock her doors. She felt herself lifted too easily, and thrown down. Josh slammed the door and she moved to stand up and run away. She didn't have a key, but she knew where the spare was at the back door. 

The big mechanic grunted when she kicked at his knees. He wasn't dressed well enough for the cool day, and she wondered if he was wearing the same as she'd seen him in at the garage. Nancy was nearly up and he got her by the leather strap of her purse, flinging her down. Her head knocked the pavement and she was being dragged away. They were headed to the water, and she had a bad feeling it might not be unrelated to the Agleaca, or even to Simon. If the supernatural things in her town she crossed were able to act together to find her, she was screwed. 

Nancy screamed, hoping her friends would be arriving to hear her. She couldn't get herself free, or look back at the restaurant to see if Ace's car had pulled up. She knew the lot was empty when she'd arrived. Ace loved his car, but it wasn't fast or sporty even with a single person. 

She pleaded with Josh, gasping as he dragged her painfully. “Josh, I wanted justice for Lucy, too! You were just wrong about Ryan. He didn't kill her. He loved her as much as you did!” 

At the end of the pavement, he had to climb over a wooden holding wall. Beyond it was just rocky shoreline and the ocean. Nancy had her own charm and Owen's, but she didn't think either would be enough if Josh battered her to death or drowned her. She coiled up and used everything to try to stand. He was unsteady for just a moment, but she got to her knees and then was picked up over his shoulder. 

“No, please! Please Josh!”

He hadn't said a word. There were grunts of effort and contact when she punched at his head and neck, but Nancy didn't even think he was blinking to avoid her nails. She tried with her knees and clawing at him, but he was ignoring the pain. He was stone-faced and nothing she did made him react except to grip her painfully and keep trying to head to the water. 

He'd had a boat, and Nancy knew she didn't want to end up on the water with him. It would be difficult to follow based on his direction, and in a few minutes they could be out of sight of her friends on land. 

She had talked about meeting Owen. As a worse case, it might be a while before Owen arrived. No one would think anything was odd if she'd left her car in the lot and gone with Owen in his. She screamed louder, bracing to be hit or strangled. Josh didn't even blink with her shrieking in his face. He was inhumanly calm and it felt like nothing would stop him. 

Arms wrapped around her flailing legs, weighing her down. Nick and Ace went after Josh's arms and tried to pry her free as George and Bess refused to let go. Nancy was falling back, rolling against other people and trying to follow the motion to free herself. She didn't think her purse came with her. Her clothes had to be ripped somewhere, and she was damp from the pavement. 

“Get up! Run! RUN!”

She was between George and Bess, leaning on them as they fled. Nick and Ace were fighting Josh, who was still not showing any emotion. He kept going for a moment, then crouched to jump down to the beach. It was a jarring distance, but he landed and hurried woodenly to the shore. Nancy had to look where she was going, but she heard his boat motor and knew they'd lost him. The police would get there in time to see her looking beaten, no distinct shoe prints or hint of where Josh was hiding. There were just too many places in a seaside town to hide a small craft. 

She didn't stop running until they were at the door and George was unlocking it. Bess pulled her into a hug, and Nancy returned it. She let herself be led to a booth and someone dropped a jacket over her shoulders. 

“Oh my God! Oh my God, he nearly got you!” Bess was too close, clutching her arm. 

“It was like fighting a Terminator,” Nick said grimly. 

“Are you hurt?” Pragmatic to the end, George had a first aid kit. 

Ace was at the door, looking out as he turned the latch. He met Nancy's eyes and opened the door, waving Owen inside before he locked it again. 

“What the hell happened?!” Owen looked at her in shock, and she felt herself well up. Bess stood, and Owen took her place. He cupped Nancy's face and his hands were shaking worse than her own trembling. 

“Josh Dodd tried to grab her. I think he wanted to get her to his boat,” Ace said. 

He was on his phone, one hand held out to Bess. George had gauze pads pulled out, but they were all huge. Nick was going to different windows, trying to see anything except the three cars in the parking lot and a few braver seagulls unmoved by the dramatic rescue. 

“There was something wrong with him,” Nancy said. “He was flat, just nothing there. I think he's concussed or something.”

“It doesn't matter. This is the second time he came after you.” 

Owen had a napkin dispenser and hauled half of them out. He wiped at her forehead and seemed satisfied, crumpling it for a new one he put to her lip. She leaned back and let him, breathing heavily. 

As the panic faded her friends were frowning and pacing, or sitting weakly and going quiet. Bess began crying and Ace held her with one arm as he called the police. Nancy leaned closer to Owen, only remembering the charm bag as she put her sore face against him. She dug into her pocket and found the charm bag, looping it around his neck without any conversation. He let her, cupping her hand after to make her flex her scraped hands. 

“Jesus, Nancy, what did he do to you?”

Josh had shown her Carson Drew was safe, Lucy and Tiffany's murders could have closure, but she wasn't out of danger. Nancy shut her eyes and touched the charm at Owen's throat. She hoped they worked much better than Chief McGinnis' modest endorsement. Josh hadn't even seemed like a human enemy.


End file.
